In a Heartbeat
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: Someone very close to Cedric passes away without warning. He tries to handle it on his own and convince himself that this is just a natural part of life, but Sofia recognizes his sorrow and offers comfort that he never thought he would need.


In a Heartbeat

Summary: Someone very close to Cedric passes away without warning. He tries to handle it on his own and convince himself that this is just a natural part of life, but Sofia recognizes his sorrow and offers comfort that he never thought he would need.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Sofia the First_.

A/N: Oh, boy… Just for the record, I _never_ imagined I would be writing this story. However, I actually had a dream about this scenario, and it absolutely would _not_ leave my head and just took my breath away. So I decided to go for it and began working on a summary and a basic outline. Guys, I'm just going to let you know right now: this is going to be a sad story. There will be a lot of raw emotion, and of course there will be an ultimate resolution; however, losing someone, especially someone close, is extremely hard. Most of us have been there before. So I just wanted to give you a heads up just in case. By the way, the character mentioned in here who has passed away is a main character in another one of my stories…I'm sure it won't take long to realize who it is, especially if you've read the story before. :( I hope you enjoy this story, despite its more serious approach. :)

*Story*

"Hmm, what shall we do today, Wormy?" Cedric wondered as he glanced toward his feathered companion. He grinned. "Shall we opt for another game of chess?"

The raven yawned before rolling his eyes dramatically. "What? And have you lose your tenth game in a row since yesterday? Sorry, Cedric, but unlike _you_ , I actually have things to do." He smirked and took flight. "I'll be stretching my wings for a while. Try not to destroy the workshop while I'm away." He left via the open window.

"Oh, ha-ha!" Cedric called out to him, sarcasm laced in his voice. He sighed and sat down, drumming his fingers on the table. It was mid-morning, and he'd already eaten. He didn't have a certain quota he had to meet today, and Sofia wasn't due for her lessons for another hour or so, so he had time to kill now that Wormwood had quite literally flown the coop.

He was about to turn to his potions when he suddenly received a letter out of thin air, which dropped onto his table. He blinked, reasoning that it was obviously magically delivered. Otherwise, there was simply no explanation. He shrugged before taking the letter and opening it.

From the envelope, he withdrew a rather lengthy letter, shimmering in beautifully handwritten letters scrawled across the page. Unfortunately, even the most beautiful writing couldn't mask the ugliness contained in the letter. As Cedric read every word, his heart began beating faster. He found it difficult to breathe. How? How could this have happened?

Angry, he balled up the letter and threw it on the floor beside the door before slumping into his chair again. A frown etched into his face, he glared heatedly at the table in front of him. He wasn't sure how to handle his emotions right now, so rather than act on anything physically, he chose instead to fight internally with his own mind, his thoughts consuming him.

An hour passed, and the sorcerer scarcely noticed it. All he saw was the pattern of the table in front of him. Or rather, that's what was there; what he saw was a vast emptiness and a faded visage that should have still been solid. Again, _how_? He heard the echoes of a voice he'd grown so fond of, the humorous lilt adding character and quality. He smelled the aroma of magic and flowers…lilacs in particular. It had to be lilacs, because roses were too pretentious. At least…that's what _she_ had always told him…

A soft knock fell upon his door, but he didn't seem to notice. He didn't move. He couldn't. Memories swirled in his brain, incapacitating him and rendering him utterly helpless to reality.

Sofia pushed the door open gently, not having heard or received a typical response from her mentor. Granted, if she hadn't planned on meeting with him before this, she never would have entered since she'd not gotten a welcome of any sort. However, she'd known he'd be in there…and now she sort of wished she hadn't entered at all.

The princess stared at her friend, who was leaning against his table with his hands clasped so tightly that his nails were even a paler shade than usual. Had he not worn his usual fingerless gloves, she'd imagine his knuckles were a sickening white shade as well. But what worried her the most was his pensive, dark look as he stared angrily at his table. She hadn't seen _that_ particular look in quite some time. The last time, it had been aimed at Grimtrix. But what was going on?

"Mr. Cedric?" she asked quietly as she took a cautious step toward her friend, her blue eyes scanning his features for any sign of recognition.

He'd heard her. How could he not? Despite her softer tone, he'd heard her quite well. After all, she was right beside him now. But he didn't feel like responding…he didn't know if his voice would allow him to.

"Are you all right?"

Cedric shut his eyes tighter. Then again, if he didn't respond, she'd really worry about him and likely not leave him alone, or worse, get her father. With that thought in mind, he finally answered, "No…"

The auburn-haired girl was taken aback. Did he say no?

"No, I'm not 'all right,' my dear…" He opened his eyes once more, not daring to look at her for fear he lose what little grip on reality he still had left. "I… I'm afraid I will be unable to conduct our lesson today."

"Forget the lesson," Sofia urged as she stood directly beside him now, placing one hand on his shoulder, feeling him jump slightly at the contact. She frowned. What on earth was going on with him? "Mr. Cedric, what happened?"

Why couldn't she leave well enough alone? Couldn't she tell that he was having difficulty fathoming the situation, and that he was not in any type of position to explain anything to her? He finally decided to respond simply, though they were far from the simplest words he'd ever had to speak aloud: "…She's gone."

The girl's breathing became a bit labored and both hands went to her heart. 'She?' What did he mean by 'She's gone?' Who? Gone where? Her face was absolutely one of surprise and confusion, and he didn't appear to be able to give her what she wanted: an explanation. Rather than have his voice fail him, he instead chose an alternate method and gestured toward the balled up paper on the floor by the door.

Sofia blinked and walked over to the discarded letter, picking it up and unfolding it. She pressed the wrinkled fabric to the table and began reading it.

 _Dearest Cedric,_

 _I regret to inform you that your grandmother, Mary-Elizabeth the Marvelous, has passed away. Unfortunately, your grandmother had been in ill health the last several months, and though she'd shown some progress, the illness ultimately made a profound return and destroyed her immune system, and she simply did not recover._

 _She stated numerous times that she adored her 'Little Bit' and that she wished good things for you in your magical and personal endeavors. She was proud of you, Cedric, and she loved you so much. Never forget that._

 _A memorial for her will be held Saturday at Mystic Meadows at sunset. You are encouraged to attend, though it is not a requirement. Either way, the loss of your grandmother is tremendous, and I do so wish I did not have to make this announcement. She will be greatly missed._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Your Father, Goodwyn the Great_

Sofia felt a few distinct stings in the corners of her eyes, but she rubbed at them before placing the wrinkled letter down and returning her attention to her friend. "Mr. Cedric, I'm… I'm so sorry."

"It was so cold," he told the girl with a bitter frown. "That letter my father sent was just so formal, as if he weren't speaking of his own mother but instead just some name he simply thought to make note of. Grammy deserved a much better notice than that."

The princess gasped. _Grammy_? As in, Goodwyn the Great's mother, Grammy, who had visited Cedric two years ago? The spunky older lady who appeared younger due to magic? The one who liked to tease King Roland and shared a bond with not only Cedric but also Wormwood? The one who would stick up for Cedric when others didn't…? Oh, no…

She recalled the last thing he'd told her and finally found it in her to speak. "M-Maybe…he just doesn't know how to deal with this."

Cedric scoffed and slammed one fist down on his table, startling the princess. "Nonsense! She was his _mother_! She was my _grandmother_! I should have gotten more than some ridiculous letter—I should have been told in person! 'Cedric, I'm so sorry, but your Grammy has passed away.' I would have handled that better… But no! I get, 'I regret to inform you that I'm a horridly lazy sorcerer with a lousy sense of communication, but, oh, your grandmother is _dead_!'" He growled and shoved the papers he'd been working on off of his table and lowered his head into his hands, his fingers gripping at his hair in aggravation.

Sofia wasn't quite sure how to handle this situation. It's not like she'd planned on the sorcerer to tell her all of those obviously conflicted and now not-so-secretive thoughts. She could understand why he was upset. Of course, his grandmother had just passed away. But at the same time, she also understood that he wanted a personal method of closure—one that wasn't simply passed along via letter. In a way, she didn't see that it was fair to Cedric; however, at the same time…what if that was the only way Goodwyn knew how to handle explaining to his son that Mary-Elizabeth the Marvelous was no longer with them?

"Mr. Cedric…" Sofia placed her hand over his, the warmth of hers transferring to his ice-cold fingers.

With a jolt, the sorcerer finally risked glancing out of the corner of his eye at his apprentice, and he immediately wished he hadn't. The look of empathy in her eyes was overwhelming. He could feel her sorrow pouring out of her—sorrow for his loss and his pain. And when she softly whispered his name once more, her small hands gently cupping his face in a reassuring manner, that's when he just completely lost it.

It had been years since Cedric had cried—like really cried. Tears blurred his vision. His body jerked, wracked with sobs. His bangs brushed over his eyes, blocking his face from the world. That's the way he wanted it. Right now, he didn't want to face the world and its cold, cruel reality. He didn't want to know a world without the warmth and humor of one other human being who both respected and loved him. The world was one miracle short.

Sofia was bewildered. She'd never imagined she'd ever see her mentor in this state. Yet now that she had, she knew she had to do something. She couldn't very well just leave him there, hurting. It wouldn't be like her at all. She was a protector. She was Sofia, and he was Cedric, and they were friends…

Sofia wrapped her arms around her friend, hugging him with all that she had. She felt his arms loosely hold her in response. Just hearing the despair in his sobs really tugged on her heartstrings, and she couldn't help it when she, too, began crying. Not necessarily because she fully _knew_ Grammy (she only met her briefly), but for the fact that one of her best friends in the world was hurting, and nothing would ever be able to fill the void that this woman had left behind. She'd felt that sense of hopelessness herself years ago…

It was several minutes later when Cedric finally managed to calm down. He managed a tighter hold on the girl as he quite literally came to grips with reality once again. Grammy was gone. She'd never be forgotten, because she was one of his most influential and important figures in his life. However, he'd always feel that emptiness—that space in his heart that was reserved solely for her. But now he knew he had to go on…

"Sofia," he whispered, his voice still slightly thick with emotion. He briefly wiped his eyes and cheeks of the moisture of his tears before gently lifting the princess's chin, one thumb sweeping away a few of her own tears. He smiled sadly. "My kind, selfless apprentice, why are you crying too? Do you really want to make me emotional all over again?"

"I—I'm sorry, M-Mr. Cedric," she managed with slight hiccups as she got her emotions under control again. As it turned out, even as strong as she was, she still could become overwhelmed sometimes. She was human, after all. "I didn't mean to cry…or to make you cry either."

"You didn't, Sofia. None of this is because of you. Grammy was… She was a wonderful lady who will very much be missed, and I thank you so much, dear girl, for trying to comfort me the only way you know how."

Sofia sniffled and wiped her tears away. "I was trying to be strong for you." She released a watery giggle as he smiled at her. "I guess I failed."

"You're Sofia. You don't fail." He tucked some of her loosened hair behind her ear. "You simply found another method…I suppose." He gently took her hands and held them for a few moments. "I don't deserve your friendship…this kindness you've bestowed upon me."

"Don't say that," she commanded, squeezing his hands firmly yet carefully. "Mr. Cedric, you of all people know that your friendship means the world to me. I look up to you. And right now you're hurting, and I understand. Don't ever say that again, because you more than deserve this friendship that we share with each other. I think your Grammy would agree with me."

Cedric chuckled breathlessly before nodding. "Y-Yeah, she probably would."

"Can I tell you something?"

He nodded again.

"I think you should go to that memorial this weekend." She noticed his frown and shook her head. "You want closure? Go. And there you can talk to Mr. Goodwyn and explain to him the same thing you told me."

Cedric sighed. "And why would I do that?"

Sofia placed her hands on his shoulders now. "Because he's hurting too, Mr. Cedric. He lost his mother. Imagine if you lost Mrs. Winifred, how you would feel." She noticed a certain spark in his eyes: the look of realization. She then smiled softly. "I'll go with you, if you want. If you ever needed me for anything, I'd do it in a heartbeat. You know that."

He chuckled softly at her sincerity, touched by her words, and shook his head. "No, Sofia… It's okay. You've done more than enough." He grabbed her hands from his shoulders and gently lowered them. "This is something I believe I need to do alone."

"I understand." She hugged him once more, happy his reciprocation came a lot faster than usual. "I love you, Mr. Cedric…"

Cedric smiled, that overwhelming urge to shed more tears nearly threatening to take him hostage again, but he managed to keep those tears at bay. "I love you too, Sofia… Thank you."

That weekend, Cedric received his proper closure. His grandmother was laid to rest, and he managed to have a proper discussion with his father. Goodwyn admitted he hadn't really been able to handle the face-to-face explanation or revelation about his mother's death. According to Winifred, her husband had been in an even worse shape than Cedric, sobbing day in and day out with her attempts to comfort him hardly succeeding. Yet after all was said and done, they now had an understanding: no matter how difficult it could be or even for the fear of expressing some negative emotion to each other, they needed to openly communicate more. No more stoic messages. No more passive-aggressive interactions. Grammy would want them not only to act more like the father-son dynamic that they _could_ be; she'd want them to actually be _friends_. It wasn't unheard of, and it certainly wasn't impossible. But it would take a bit of patience and understanding on both parts.

But for Grammy, Cedric was determined to see it through.

The end


End file.
